UCers in Australia?

[JanetF]

I know a few UC mamas in the various birth groups I belong to but I can't seem to find if there's an Australian UC group, as such. Does anyone know? Should we start our own?! That's my usual response to not finding a group ;)
TIA,
J

[Quickening]

Hi!

Hehe that's what I'm doing actually, I'm making a website and forums for UC in Australia, want to help me?

And don't I know you? Are you JCF on NP?

[JanetF]

Yes I am! What very cool news!
J <- very big smile :D

[BinahYeteirah]

:wave

Hi! I'm a UCer in Australia, too.

Anyone have experience in claiming the maternity benefit without the "hospital sticker" that is supposed to placed on the claim form?

[Quickening]

good question, i had one of those stickers on my form that m/w gave me. It annoyed me because i didn't feel the hospital had any claim on my birth - i had a m/w attended hb!

Perphas you will be able to show the birth certificate instead as proof of birth, and tell them you birthed at home.

[BinahYeteirah]

I had a midwife-attended hb with my first, but I lived in the US then. I am still figuring out the Australian way with the gov't, taxes, medical system, etc. I already called the department that registers births, and asked about the procedure for getting a birth certificate when no medical person has attended the birth. The woman I spoke to seemed shocked/confused, but she told me I would just need a letter from a hcp who had seen me at some point in the pregnancy, or a statement (statutory declaration?) from someone who witnessed the birth. I hope it is a non-issue once I have one of those documents. I want the maternity benefit, of course, and I'd hate to be denied because of some hold-up with the birth certificate. The Australian system of dealing with non-vaxing parents is so sensible (especially compared with the US system), I'm hoping this will be sensibly dealt with as well. I don't want anyone sitting around with my applications wondering what to do with me. I have heard stories of birth certificate problems in the US, but have never heard from anyone who has done it in Australia.

[seven_lux]

BinahYeteirah, you won't be denied even if it takes you 6 months to get the papers in order, so long as you were eligible at the time you had the baby, you should be able to claim it.

The vaxxing thing here - I hear a lot of people i know saying they made sure their kids got all their shots on time so they could claim the benefit that is paid "dependant" on immunization (at about 18mo?).
I be sure to tell them that they could have still claimed it after exempting, but "no-one ever told them that!".
They are not so worried about it because they believe in it anyway, but I get annoyed that they don't know their rights.

I don't like that there is monetary incentives for getting your child immunized at all.
There is a way around it, but it's presented in a way that doesn't let you know that.

[JanetF]

Nice to see some more mamas. The two forums in which I moderate the pg and birth section, and the yahoo birth group I run, are all welcoming of UC mamas and have a number on board already. Recently there was a discussion about birth certificates and other paper work on one of them. It would be great to have all the info for the different states collected in the one spot. No doubt that will be on Quickening's site so if we find out now we can share it with her.
The forums I am a moderator on are:-
http://www.alternativebaby.net Melbourne based
http://www.naturalparenting.com.au Brisbane based
And of course, my own, in my sig :D
Best to all,
J

[Quickening]

seven_lux, did you move to australia? I remember seeing you around MDC but thought you were in the US!

Are you having an unassisted birth?

BinahYeteirah, do you have anything to say on UC or why you are going to do it so I can add you to my quotes page?

[seven_lux]

heh...I'm in the same old place as I have always been :)

And I am seriously being pulled to a UB by a thousand wild horses. I'm not sure why, my first hospital birth centre experience was actually good. But I am more scared of going there again than I was the first time!
So, I'm lurking around here, trying to more of a feel for the technicalities..
I'd actually prefer not to do it alone, but midwives are so expensive here, and it's all out of pocket. Hate to put a price tag on my new babies birth....but there it is :(
Still, UB seems so much more inviting than hospital birth.

blab blab blab...I am going to have to decide soon I guess! Only 7 weeks to go.

[fourlittlebirds]

Isn't Sarah Buckley in Brisbane? She is a doctor who had a planned unassisted birth, story here: http://www.womenofspirit.asn.au/docs/sb_maias_story.txt She might have some suggestions for you!

[JanetF]

She is in Brisbane and she's great :D I'm in Melbourne which is the other end of the country. Biiig place, this! ;) I just know she'll offer support to the new online group. Her articles are brillliant!
J :D

[ThisLifeTimeMother]

Hi, I'm new to MDC and newly trying to conceive. I've had 2 hospital births, one with considerable intervention, one without. Both of them now seem quite violent births, both for my children and for myself. I had what seemed like the strange idea this time that I'd like to give birth by myself, without anyone interfering, and without the horrible hospital environment. I thought I'd finally slipped off the deep end of 'extreme'. And then I discovered a few days ago that other people have, and are continuing to, birth their children this way. This site has been a blessing, and I feel more sure of my instincts every day. I'm so excited to think of just following my body and my self and birthing my child-to-be in privacy and peace. I'd love to be in contact with other women making this choice for themselves and their babies. I'd also love to be involved in the creation/support of any group/forum to provide information and support for women considering UC in Australia.

Have to say, I'm curious/apprehensive about the documentation thing too. It would be good to have a clearer picture of how the relevant 'authorities' will deal with the situation, but I suppose that will become clearer over time, as UC inevitably becomes more common. (Having said that, it must happen in remote locations throughout Australia all the time).

Anyway, nice to be here, even though I'm not preg yet. It feels like an important part of this conception to me, knowing that this child will be born naturally, and unschooled.

Jenn

If all I do in this lifetime is learn how to mother naturally, then I have done enough, for me, and for the collective I am a part of.

[JanetF]

Hi Jenn! Your story is a familiar one on these boards. I'm in Melbourne where I run a HB group and group for women recovering from birth trauma. Where are you?
Good to "meet" you here :D
J

[ThisLifeTimeMother]

Hi Jenn! Your story is a familiar one on these boards. I'm in Melbourne where I run a HB group and group for women recovering from birth trauma. Where are you?
Good to "meet" you here :D
J

Hi Janet,
I'm in Lismore, which is far north-east New South Wales (a couple of hours from Brisbane).
Anyone else in this area?
Jenn

[JanetF]

Oooh lovely and warm :D I've been sort of past going up that way. I used to have friends up there. I'm sure someone else will pop up. I met someone online the other day who volunteers at the Natural Birth Centre up that way. I helped someone have a baby at Lismore Base once years ago.
Well it's good to know we can all stay in touch this way till Quickening gets her site more finished.
Cheers,
J

[Quickening]

Nice to see new aussies in here!

The site is coming along slowly! Hopefully it will go faster once I get the forums up!